On Jan 15, 3:45*pm, Roland Perry wrote:
You may not have noticed the number of layoffs in banking and retail,
and the reduction of consumer spending (shops in Oxford St need
customers as well as staff).

So the tube is now nice and relaxed then in the rush hour? Everyone
can get a seat , there are no packed platforms and the trains all run
on time? That would be a first.

Heathrow is far from being essential and isn't overloaded anyway.

It's severely overloaded, and "essential" for UK plc's international
business ambitions.

Yeah right. We keep hearing that , I'd love to see some figures and
explanations of how a single runway is suddenly going to rescue our
economy. Southern briitain is already the biggest airport hub in the
whole of europe so if we can't sort the economy out based on that then
this will do naff all.

*The amount of economic activity provided to the economy by air travel
*is minimal... Even most business can be done using phone or email.

*From these remarks I can see you are completely out of touch with
reality. Although large volumes of "grunt trading" can be done
hands-off, you can generally only set up the initial relationships in
person.

I'm not saying theres *no* business travel, but the amount of
essential business travel is minute compared to the overall traffic
flows at heathrow. When you turn up at the airport how many people do
you see in suits compared to jeans and t-shirts with optional kids in
tow? Ok , some are off in first or business class lounges but thats a
small minority compared to economy.

Once upon a time the answer was a third airport - which ended up at
Stansted. You may have noticed that Stansted has expansion plans too.

Right , so the expansion that was Stansted didn't work so now we need
yet more. Tell me, where does it stop?

You're not good with analogies are you.

Hoon has just announced more roadbuilding.

Thats just road widening , not new roads. These plans have been on the
cards for ages and would probably have happened bust or not. Also
roads are a lot more important than airports to the economy.

B2003